Photo by: David Lorish
In her last meet as a Pioneer, senior Kelley Hennigan finished No. 20 at the semifinals of the 2010 NCAA National Championships, while her teammate, sophomore Brianna Artemev, finished No. 11.
Although the duo had success at the event, they weren’t able to share it with their teammates.
“It was my first collegiate meet without the team, which made it a little rough,” said Artemev. “Being able to compete with Kelley was a lot of fun.”
Hennigan said she was disappointed that the team did not qualify to make the trip. However, she was more relaxed without them.
“I really got to enjoy my last meet, because there was no added pressure,” said Hennigan. “It was one last victory lap for me.”
In her final meet, the senior finished with a 9.75 on vault, 9.755 on all bars, 9.7 on beam and 9.35 on floor. She finished with an all-around score of 38.575.
As for Artemev, she finished with an all-around score of 39.175, finishing with a 9.8 on vault and bars, 9.725 on beam and 9.85 on floor.
During the meet, a special moment occured for the two gymnasts. Artemev and Hennigan were scheduled to perform at the same time, but Hennigan made the judges wait so she could watch her teammate.
“She told the judges to wait so she could see me go,” said Artemev. “And that says a lot about her as a teammate.”
Looking ahead to next season, the Pioneers will need to find someone to replace the leadership skills that Hennigan honed throughout her career at DU.
The captain said she believes Artemev along with junior Kristina Coccia will fill the void she leaves.
“Brianna will be the best leader by example,” Hennigan said. “I was a leader and a big contributor team at the same time and I hope that can carry on without me.”
Hennigan career at DU included her first performance at the NCAA National Championships in 2009.
In her senior season, Hennigan led the team at the NCAA Regional Finals in Salt Lake City, where the team finished No. 3 with a season-high score of 196.175.
“Regionals were great for us,” said Hennigan. “We just had great team chemistry and it was a great atmosphere.”
Although Hennigan has made it to nationals twice, it is unusual for a gymnast at DU to make it to nationals.
Artemev and Hennigan are the 12th and 13th individuals to qualify for the NCAA National Championships since the school became Division I in 1984.
“It was amazing to share the experience with Kelley,” said Artemev. “I have always looked up to her and at the meet we were really able to feed off each others energy.”
Unlike Hennigan, Artemev has two more seasons at DU where she can hone her skills and accomplish her goals. With season training starting in September, the sophomore already has some of those goals in mind.
“I want to have the whole team to go to nationals next season,” said Artemev. “Having my teammates support made all the difference this year. Before college I practiced as an individual, so having my teammates makes everything so much better. I really owe it to them.”
While Artemev looks ahead, Hennigan can only reflect on her experiences.
With her career coming to an end, Hennigan feels grateful for everything that has happened in the past four years.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to do college gymnastics,” said Hennigan.
